Article transferring and positioning mechanism



March 12, 1957 A. R. THORSON, JR 2,784,830

ARTICLE TRANSFERRING AND POSITIONING MECHANISM Filed Aug. .17, 1955 INVENT OR ATTORNEY ARTICLE TRANSFERRING AND PQSITIONINQ IVIECHANISM Albert R. Thorson, In, Brookville, Pa., assignor to Sylvania Electric Products Inc, a corporation of Masszn chusetts Application August 17, 1955, Serial No. 528,949

13 Claims. (Cl. 198--20) The present invention relates to a transfer mechanism for transferring articles, each having a keying portion and more particularly to a transfer mechanism having means cooperative with the keyed portion to insure a predetermined orientation of the article transferred by the mechanism.

In the ensuing description and in the accompanying drawings the transfer mechanism of the invention, for purposes of illustration, has been described and illustrated in connection with a combined sealing and exhausting machine having an indexing movement and known as a Sealex, utilized in the manufacture of electronic tubes. It will be obvious, however, that the disclosed transfer mechanism may be adapted to any application wherein articles are transferred in a predetermined orientated position relative to a station or a receptacle, for an example, a shipping carton.

One type of Sealex machine includes concentric revolving turrets: an upper turret serving to seal portions of the tube envelope and a lower turret utilized in the evacuation of the envelope. Such a machine is adapted to function in association with a tube mount including a glass stem having lead-ins extending therethrough, and an elongated bulb having an open end for receiving the mount and provided with an exhaust tubulation at the opposite end of the bulb. The upper turret of the machine includes a plurality of sealing heads from which the sealed mounts are transferred to the lower turret which comprises a number of evacuating ports. Associated with each evacuating port is a pair of electrical contacts adapted to make electrical contact with the heater or filament of the sealed mount during evacuation thereof.

In the operation of said Sealex machine prior to this invention the operator performed the following steps: with the right hand the operator grasped an unsealed electron tube mount consisting of a stem and electrode assembly loosely fitted into the elongated bulb, and placed the unsealed mount on one of a number of rotating sealing heads located on the upper turret of the Sealex; with the left hand the operator then grasped a sealed mount from the upper turret, inverted the same, transferred it to the right hand, and inserted the exhaust tubulation of the sealed mount into one of several evacuation ports situated around the outer periphery of the lower or evacuating turret of the Sealex. Simultaneously with the act of insert ing the exhaust tubulation of the sealed mount into the evacuated port, the mount must be so orientated in relation to the electrical contacts associated with each port that the heater or filament lead-ins of the sealed mount make electrical contact with said contacts in order to energize or light up the heater or filament. Such energization is essential to break down the cathode coating and to aid in the evacuation of occluded gases from various components of the sealed mount. It is therefore obvious that the operator must take extreme care to avoid misorientating the sea-led mounts relative to the contacts. Heretofore, immediately after inserting the sealed mount into the evacuating port, the opera-tor may manipulate a pedal nited States Patent causing the tubulation to be clamped in the evacuation port thereby effecting an air-tight seal between the sealed mount and the evacuating apparatus.

In addition to performing the foregoing steps required in the operation of the Sea-lex, the operator is usually required to perform minor maintenance activities, for an example, cleaning residual amounts of glass and dust from the evacuation ports, to avoid costly shutting down of the Sealex. The time consumed in this activity causes one or more evacuating ports to be left vacant. Production from the machine is thereby not only diminished but the quality of tubes undergoing evacuation is jeopardized while some of the ports remain vacant. Further activities of the Sealex operator require rejection of defective unsealed envelopes and improperly sealed mounts in order to prevent the subsequent useless processing of defective mounts into finished tubes, and watching for indications of malfunctioning in the sealing, lighting, evacuating and tipping operations of the Sealex. The time required for the performance of all the aforementioned functions by the operator imposes a practical limit on the speed at which the Sealex and related processing equipment may be run, which limit is below that of which the Sealex unit is fundamentally capable. Furthermore, the constant attention of the operator required for such additional maintenance and inspectional duties frequently causes a considerable number of rejected finished tubes, resulting from not having been properly orientated in the evacuating port-s relative to the lighting contacts, as hereinbcfore described.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to enable the operation of a Sealex machine at higher speed with greater efiioiency.

A further object is the provision of means for positively orientating the sealed mount in the evacuating port relative to the lighting contacts associated therewith.

Still another object is the provision of means for inserting the exhaust tubulation of the sealed mount into the evacuating port.

Yet another object is to provide means to enable increasing of the proportion of operator time devotable to the inspection of mounts and tubes processed on the Sealex.

Still another object is the provision of means in a transfer mechanism for insuring the transfer of articles in a predetermined orientation thereof.

According to one application of the invention, a transfer mechanism operated by the Sealex driving mechanism is mounted at the loading position of the evacuating turret of the Sealex and operates to insert the sealed tube mounts into the evacuating ports in properly orientated relationship therewith. The transfer mechanism is provided with a holding means, which retains the sealed mount, carried thereto by the operator, only when the mount has been correctly orientated relative to the lighting contacts situated at the evacuating ports. At each indexing movement of the Sealex the transfer mechanism lowers a sealed mount toward an evacuating port thereby inserting the exhaust tabulation of the mount so held into the port. Suitable port closing means is associated with the transfer mechanism in order to sequentially clamp the exhaust tubulations in the ports, whereupon the mechanism is raised to the mount-receiving position prior to the next indexing movement of the Sealex.

The aforementioned and other objects of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description viewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of the transfer mechanism associated with a Sealex machine (shown schematically), in accordance with one application of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vie-w downwardly from line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view along line 3-3 of Fig. 1, including a cross-section of the lead-ins of an electronic tube held by the transfer mechanism.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the transfer mechanism comprises the housing 2, the reciprocative arm 4, and the magnet 5, which may be a permanent magnet or the magneti-z-able core of an electromagnet, and which is adapted to hold the sealed mount 6 by magnetic attract-ion to the lead-ins 7 which are fabricated at least partly of magnetic material, until the exhaust tubulation 8. is inserted into the evacuating port 11. The housing 2/ is mounted by means of bracket 17' on the Sealex pedestal, denoted generally at 9, adjacent the loading position for the lower turret 1% comprising the evacuating ports of the Sealex, two of which are indicated by the reference characters 11 and 12; The upper turret of the Sealex comprises. a plurality of seal.- ing pegs, such as 13 and 14, from which the Sealex operator carries a sealed mount 72 to thetransfer mechanism in the upward position thereof (not shown). The arm 4 includes the upstanding rod portion 1 9 and the cantilever portion 15, which terminates in the bracket 16, the bracket being fabricated preferably of'non-magnetic material. The transfer mechanism is so constructed and mounted that the exhaust tubulation 8, of the sealed mount 6, held by the magnet 5, is directly above the evacuating port 11' in which the tubulation S is to be inserted upon lowering of the arm 4, as hereinafter more fully described. Radial movement of the arm 4 is prevented by the coaction of the guides 20, provided 'on the rod portion 19; with the keyways or indents 22 on the housing 2', better shown in Fig. 2. A stop 24 is provided by machining the underside of the top of the housing 2, such that the said underside abuts against the piston-like member 26 attached to the rod portion 19 to limit the upward travel of the arm 4 under the impetus, of the upwardly biasing spring 27. The member 26 additionally serves. to facilitate and stabilize the movement of the arm 4 Within the housing 2. The upward extent of' such movement may be permanently set as by stop 2,4 in order to accommodate adequately all reasonable variations. in length of the various tube types that may be processed; on the Sealex in question. Nevertheless the limits of both upward and downward movement may be adjusted, for an example, by inserting washers in the joint 28, or by varying the height of the magnet relative; tothe cantilever portion 15, by means of set-screw 29, provided in the bracket 16.

Downward movement. of the arm 4 against the biasing spring 27, to the evacuating port loading position is effected by means of the inside cam 3t) driven from the Sealex driving mechanism (not shown) and having appropriate rise and dwell portions to cause the transfer mechanism to beactuated at each ind xing movement movement of the Sealex turret 32., The cam follower 34, together with the telescoping follower rods 36 and 37, slidably mounted as. at 38, isconnected to the piston 26 on the arm 4- through appropriate, linkages; for an example, the relatively inelastic pulL-wire 40 affixed to the piston 26 and passing throughpsuitable, apertures in the housing 2 and bracket 17, over one or more fixed pulleys 42 over the, spring-mounted or take-up pulley 44, and attached to the. lever 46, which is pivoted at. 48. The follow rod 3-6 is mounted for slidable movement withinthe tubular follower rod- 37 and is fixed in the desired extensible relationship with follower rod. 37 by means of set screw 50. Thus the downward limit of movement. of the arm 4, which obviously must be equal to or lessthan the fully compressed position of the biasing spring 27, may be varied without necessarily effecting the upward limit, by adjusting the telescoping relationship between the follower rods 37 and 36. Since, the upward extent of movement of arm 4 is determined by the stop 24 and is, therefore, more or less constant, any slack in the pull wire 49 is absorbed by the spring-mounted or take-up pulley 44. The pulley spring 52 is selected preferably with weaker characteristics than those of the biasing spring 27 with the result that the take-up pulley 44 will have substantially no effect on the extent of downward movement of the arm 4 when the pull wire 40 and the spring 27 are under tension.

To protect the operating parts of the transfer mechanism and the sealed mounts transported thereby, from damage or breakage resulting from misadjustment ormisalignment of the transfer mechanism a stiff spring 54 is provided in the pull-wire 40. The latter spring is designed to admit of, substantially no expansion until biasing spring 27 is fully compressed or unless the descent of arm 4 is stopped by some intervening and external means, for an example, the exhaust tubulation 3 of the sealed mount 6 being seated in the evacuating port 11 or being prevented fromentering port 11 by reason of its being clogged or the substantial misalignment of the transfer mechanism. However, as presently to be pointed out, exact axial alignment of the magnet 5 with the port 11' is not imperative.

The extent of downward travel of arm 4 required to firmly seat the exhaust tubulation 8 in the port 11' is determined by the respective lengths of envelope and tubulation used in the various tube types. Such travel will be readily limited to that shown in Fig. 1', for an example, as required only to adequately seat the tubulation 8. The downward limit, of arm 4' can be varied by adjustment of the follower rods 36 and 37, by adjustment of the magnet 5, or by the additionv or subtraction of Washers at the joint 28' as pointed out heretofore; or by the substitution of a cam having different characteristics. for cam 39. Minor increases in overall length. of the, sealed mount can. be compensated by the expansion of spring 54. The conically shaped opening 55' to the ports 11 and" 12 will be adequate in most cases to guide the end of the exhaust tubulation 8 into the port. However, if desired, a funnel (not shown) to guide the tubulation may be mounted on the Seal'ex pedestal 9 in aligned relationship with the port 11 to be loaded. Thus, the allowable crookedness in envelope seals and minor errors in alignment of the transfer mechanism will not affect insertion of the sealed mounts into the evacuating ports of the Sealex.

After loading the sealed mount 6 into the evacuating.

port 11, the same is closed by means of the clamp 56 periodically actuated, for an example, by an air or electric solenoid (not shown) at each indexing, movement of the Sealexpturret 32. The solenoid may be operatedautomatically by any appropriate well-known linkage to the. cam 30, or otherwise to the Sealex driving mechanism, for instance, a cam-switch and related circuitry. Upon clamping the sealed mount 6 in the port 11, the arm 4 of the trans-fer mechanism is permitted to move upwardly prior to indexing of the Sealex, thereby removing the lead-ins 7 of the sealed mount 6 from the influence of the magnet 5. Alternatively, in the case of utilizing an electromagnetfor magnet 5, the electrical circuit therefor (not shown) may be interrupted automatically after insertion of the exhaust tubulation into the port 11, for an example, by opening switch 58, which is biased to closed position and connected in said circuit.

Fig. 3 illustrates one arrangement for assuring the proper orientation of the sealed mount 6- relative to the lighting or heater contacts (not shown) associated with a number of the evacuating ports. Magnet 5 is provided with a skirt 60 which may be shrunk or press fitted and desirably is fabricated. of non-magnetic material. Overlying the downward face, 62 of the magnet 5 and affixed to skirt 60 (Fig. l) isthe keying portion 64 comprising the rib-66 and the vertcial rod-like member 68, designed to nestle loosely. among the lead-ins 7 when the sealed mount 6. (Fig. 1) is loaded onto the transfer mechanism. The rib 66, disposed relative to the desiredorientation of:

the sealed mount 6 in port 11, is adapted to fit into the keying space provided between the two adjacent lead-ins, indicated at 7a and 7b, of the sealed mount 6, and none other. Thus if a sealed mount 6 is presented to the transfer mechanism in improper orientation to the evacuating port 11, the lead-ins 7 are prevented by the keying portion 64 from coming into the region wherein magnet 5 has sufficient attraction to hold said lead-ins. The edges 70 of the keying portion 64 are bevelled to facilitate loading the sealed mount 6. For unusually heavy tube types the skirt 60 and the keying portion 64 may be made of magnetic material to increase the magnetic attraction of magnet 5. The same may be further increased by lengthening skirt 60 to surround the circle of the lead-ins 7 for at least a portion of the total length of the lead-ins. It is also contemplated that other means be employed for retaining the lead-ins 7 about the keying portion6-t, for example, a socket fixture or a clamp surrounding the circle of lead-ins, from which the lead-ins 7 can be stripped or released when the sealed mount 6 is inserted and clamped in the evacuating port 11.

One form of the invention operates as follows: when the transfer mechanism is in its uppermost position a sealed mount 72 is removed from sealing peg 13 or 14 by the operator of the Sealex, inverted, and presented in proper orientational relationship to the transfer mechanism. The sealed mount, as indicated at 6 in Fig. 1, is then lowered by arm 4 t0 the position shown in Fig. 1 where the exhaust tabulation 8 is inserted into and seated in the evacuating port 11. The correct orientation of the sealed mount 6 relative to the port it. having been predetermined by the transfer mechanism, the exhaust tubulation 8 is clamped in the port 11, by operation of clamp 56. The arm 4 is then raised toward loading position, thereby removing the lead-ins 7 from the influence of the magnet 5. Where an electromagnet is utilized the circuit therefore is opened by operation of switch 58 at the downmost position of arm 4. The Sealex turret 32 is caused to index after the arm 4 has been raised to provide the necessary clearance for the lead-ins 7 of the sealed mount 6. After the arm 4 reaches its uppermost or loading position, the aforedescribed cycle is repeated.

Many modifications of the transfer mechanism described herein will occur to those skilled in theart without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, a latitude of interpretation should be granted to the appended claims consistent with the foregoing specification and accompanying drawing.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a transfer mechanism for transferring an article to a station in a predetermined orientation therewith, a holding means for holding said article, positioning means associated with the holding means for predetermining the orientation of said article relative to said holding means and said station and for rendering the action of said holding means ineffective when said article is not presented to said holding means in said predetermined orientation, driving mechanism for causing the holding means to transfer the article to said station, and means for effecting release of the article at said station from said holding means.

2. In a transfer mechanism for transferring articles having keying portion; at least one socket fixture for retaining said article, said socket fixture including a complementary portion adapted to interfit with said keying portion in one predetermined orientation of said article; holding means associated with said socket fixture for'retaining said keying portion and said complementary por tions in said predetermined orientation; driving mechanism for causing the holding means to transfer the article to said station; and means for effecting release of the article at said station from said holding means.

3. In a transfer mechanism for transferring articles having a keying portion, said portion being constructed at least partly of magnetic material; at least one socket fixture for retaining said article, said socket fixture including a complementary portion adapted to interfit with said keyed portion in one predetermined orientation of said article; and a magnet cooperative with said keying portion and affixed to said complementary portion for retaining said keying portion and said complementary portion in said predetermined orientation.

4. In a transfer mechanism for transferring electron tubes having the lead-ins thereof arranged to define a keying space between two adjacent lead-ins, said lead-ins being fabricated at least partly of magnetic material; at least one socket fixture for retaining said electron tube, said socket fixture comprising a magnet cooperative with said lead-ins and a complementary portion disposed on a face of said magnet, said complementary portion adapted to interfit with said keying space.

5. In a transfer mechanism for transferring electron tubes having the lead-ins thereof arranged in a circle and defining a keying space between two adjacent leadins, said lead-ins being fabricated at least partly of mag netic material; at least one socket fixture for retaining said electron tube, said socket fixture comprising a magnet cooperative with said lead-ins, a vertical rod disposed on a face of said magnet and adapted to fit within said circle of lead-ins, and a keying member attached to said rod and adapted to fit into said keying space; whereby said tube is orientated relative to and held against said socket.

6. A transfer mechanism for transferring an article to a station in an orientated position therewith, said article having a keying portion fabricated at least partly of mag netic material; said transfer mechanism comprising a movably mounted arm; a magnet mounted on said arm and cooperative with said keying portion; a complementary portion attached to said magnet and orientated relative to said station, said complementary portion adapted to interfit with said keying portion; driving mechanism for moving said arm to and from said station; and retaining means operable by said driving mechanism and associated with said station for retaining said article at said station while the arm is moving away from said station.

7. A transfer mechanism for transferring an article to a station in an orientated position therewith, said article having a keying portion fabricated at least partly of magnetic material; said transfer mechanism comprising a movably mounted arm; an electromagnet mounted on said arm, and having a core portion cooperative with the keying portion; a circuit for said electromagent; a complementary portion attached to said core and orientated relative to said station; said portion adapted to interfit with said keying portion; driving mechanism for mov ing said arm to and from said station; and means operable by said driving mechanism for opening said circuit to said electromagnet prior to removal of said arm from said station, whereby said article is released at said station.

8. In a combined sealing and evacuating machine for processing electronic tubes, said machine having an indexing movement; a transfer mechanism for transferring a sealed electronic tube mount to an orientated position in and relative to an evacuating port of said machine and means associated with said evacuating port for effecting separation of said sealed mount at said evacuating port from the transfer mechanism; said transfer mechanism including a holding means for holding said sealed mount, a positioning means forming a part of the holding means for positioning the mount in a. predetermined orientation relative to said port and adapted to render the action of said holding means effective only when said sealed mount is presented to said positioning means in said predetermined orientation, and means connected to the driving mechanism of said machine for moving said holding means 7 to and from said evacuating port at each indexing movement of said machine.

9. In a combined scaling and evacuating machine for processing electronic. tubes, said machine having an indexing movement and a plurality of evacuatingports; a transfer mechanism for sequentially transferring sealed electronic tube mounts in orientated positions to evacuating ports of said machine, each of said mounts having lead-ins fabricated at least partly of magnetic material and ar ranged to define akeying space; said transfer mechanism including a movably mounted arm; a magnet cooperative with the lead-ins and mounted on said arm; a complementary portion attached to. said magnet and orientated relative to said evacuating ports, said complementary portion adapted to interfit with. said keying space; linkage ricated at least partly in magnetic material and arranged to V define a keying space, said transfer mechanism including a movably mounted arm; an electro-magnet mountedon said arm and having a core portion cooperative with said lead-ins; a circuit for said electromagnet; acomplementary portion attached to said core and orientated rcla-tiveto' said evacuating port, said complementary portion adapted to interfit with said keying space; link-age connected to the driving mechanism of said machine for lowering said arm toward an evacuating port at each: indexing movement of said machine, whereby a mount is inserted into each evacuating port; and a switch actuated by said driving mechanism for opening said circuit at the lowered position of said arm whereby a mount is released at each evacuating port.

11. In a transfer mechanism for transferring to a stationelectronic tubes having the leads-in thereof arranged to define a keying space between two adjacent lead-ins; a

least one socket fixture for retaining said electron who, said socket fixture including complementary portion disposed thereon and adapted to interfit with said keyingspace; holding means associated with said socket fixture for retaining said complementary portion within saidkeying space; driving mechanism for causing the socketfixture to transfer the electronic tube to said station; and means for effecting release of the tube at said station from said holding means.

12. In a transfer mechanism for loading sealed mounts having lead-ins into an evacuating port of a combined sealing and evacuating machine having an indexing movement, said mechanism comprising an arm, holding means located on said arm for holding said sea-led mount, posi tioning means associated with said holding means and engageable with said lead-ins for predctermining the orientation of said sealed: mount relative to said port, and driving mechanism for lowering said arm at each indexing movement of said machine, whereby a sealed mount is transferred to and properly orientated in said evacuating port.

13. In a transfer mechanism for loading sealed mounts having lead-ins into an evacuating port of a combined sealing and evacuating machine having an indexing movement, said mechanism comprising an arm, holding means located on said arm for holdingsaid sealed mount, positioning means associated with said holding means and engag-eable with said lead-ins for predetei-mining the orientation of said sealed mount about a vertical axis thereof and relative to said port, and driving mechanism for lowering said arm at each indexing movement of said machine, whereby a sealed mount is transferred to and properly orientated in. said evacuating port.

References. Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 805,876 ONeill Nov. 28, 1905 2,069,086 Donovan et al. Jan. 26, 1937 2,679,918 Vargo et al. June 1, 1954 

